Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-08-06

I PIT ont n3Y right arm tn W0rd il from me.
hand closed on another arm, the wrist OF
which my fingers gripped like II wise. lam
Il very strong man, and had something to
hold TO. but by arm was nearly torn from
its socket by the strain and weight Of the
floating body. Had the rush lasted anoth-
er two seconds | must either have let &c
or gone with it. But il passed. leaving Us
M to our knees in water.
Bail out, bail out.' shouted job, ~suiting
the action to the word.
But / could not bail Just then, for rs the
moon went ont and left rs in total dark
rc>s. one faint. dying ray of light lit upon
the face Of the man I had gripped, who
was now half lying, half floating, IN the
bottom Of the boat.
1t was Leo. Leo brought back by The
~wave-back. dead or alive, from the very
Jaws of Death.
Bail out. bail out"' yelled Job, "or we
shall founder"
| seized n large tin bowl with q handle 70
tt, which was fixed under one of the seats,
and the three of us bailed away for dear
life. Thc furious tempest drove oFef ana
round us, ningiug the boat this way
that, the wind and the storm wrcaths Il
the sheets of singing spray blinded ana
bewildered us; but through 1t all we
worked like demons with the wild eXhllar-
alton OF despair, for even despair can eN-
hilarate. One minute, three minutes! SIX
minutcst III boat began 70 Tighten, and
TO fresh wave swamped us. Five minutes
more and she was fairly clear. Then, sud
aenly. above the awful shrieking5 OF the
hurricane came II dullcr, deeper roar.
Great Heavens! 1t was the voice OF break
ers.
At that moment the moon began to air
out again-this time behind the path OF the
sOuall. Out far across the torn bosom OF
the ocean shot the ragged arrows OF her
light, and there, half a mile ahead OF us,
was a white line Of foam, then a little space
Of open-mouthed blackness, and then an
other line of white. 1t was the breakers,
and their roar grew clearer and yet more
clear as we sped down upon them ike Il
swallow. There they were, boiling up in
snowy spouts OF spray, shifting m gnash-
ing together like the cleaning teeth OF hell.
"Take the tiller, Mahomedl" / roared, in
Arabic; I'VE must try and shoot them"
At the same moment / seized an oar, and
got it ont, motionipg TO Job to do likewise.
Mahomed clambered aft, and got hold OF
the tiller, and with some difficulty JOB.
who had sometimes pulled a tub upon the
homely Cam, got out his oar. In another
minute her read was straight on to the
ever-nearing line, toward which she
plunged and tore with the speed of a race
horse. Just in front Of Us the first line
seemed q little thinner than to the right or
left-there was a gap OF rather deeper
water. turned and pointed to it.
"Steer for your life, Mahomed!' yelled.
He was a skillful steersman, and well ac-
ouainted with the dangers Of this most
perirous coast, and l saw him gripth uller
and bend his heavy frame forward, and
stare at the foaming terror till his big
round eyes looked as though they would
start out of his head. The send of the sea
was driving the boats head round TO star
board. If we struck the line OF reakers
fifty yards to starboard of the gap we must
sink. 1t was a great field OF twisting,
spouting waves. Mahomed planted his
foot against the seat before him, and glanc-
ing Mt him, l saw his Drown toes spread
out like IA hand with the weight he put
upon them as he Ook the strain OF the
tiller. She came round a bit, but not
10 be continued.